The Skylark

The 2013 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2013) edition.

Occupying a prime double shop front on Portobello's main drag, Skylark is just what the neighbourhood has been crying out for, since evening eating options are somewhat thin on the ground. A daytime café with toys, books, food and events for kids (check out the weekly singalong session with Mrs Mash) and coffee and pastries for the grown-ups, by evening it morphs into a sophisticated bar-bistro with excellent home cooking and a well-stocked bar. Breakfast rolls and granola bowls move on to lunchtime sandwiches, homemade quiche and soups. Dinner really allows the tiny open kitchen to shine, with the likes of confit duck leg, slow-cooked chicken and wild mushroom and chestnut cottage pie on the regularly changing menu, as well as some interesting daily specials. Desserts are hearty and comforting, like a rich, dark chocolate mousse or a sublime bread and butter pudding. A warm, community-led venue with film nights, open-mic sessions and a weekly chess club, Skylark's all-things-to-all-people approach is a welcome addition to the area.

• High point: Exactly what a neighbourhood bistro should be
• Low point: Slightly awkward shift from daytime café to evening candlelit bistro